1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital photographing apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a digital photographing apparatus and method using a face recognition function for obtaining an image in which all faces are focused by setting AF areas in a plurality of recognized faces and photographing the faces in a bracket mode based on the set AF areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
A face recognition auto focusing (AF) function serves to search for face areas and to set AF windows for the face areas so as to focus on persons to be photographed. The face recognition AF function is used in most digital photographing apparatuses.
In addition, an AF bracket function for further taking three to five images by changing AF steps so as to improve the performance of the AF function is embodied in a high quality digital photographing apparatus. A photographing process with respect to a plurality of focusing points in an AF bracket mode is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-116706.
In a conventional digital photographing apparatus, since the face recognition AF function serves to primarily focus one face even if an image includes multiple faces, when people are separated at a distance from one another as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the problem is that only one face and not the other faces is in focus. Although some digital photographing apparatuses include an AF bracket function, the AF bracket function serves not to focus on faces of multiple people but instead serves to indicate an error if multiple faces are present.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a technique for capturing an image with a plurality of predetermined focus areas has been developed. However, in some cases, the faces of subjects may not fall within any of the predetermined focus areas, and therefore, these faces will not be in focus when captured in a photograph. In other words, since the subjects are photographed in a bracket mode having AF areas at predetermined or fixed positions, it is nearly impossible to obtain an image in which all of the faces in an image are focused.
After taking pictures, pictures are frequently distributed to people appearing therein, and sometimes people are unhappy or are unsatisfied when they view themselves in pictures in which their respective faces are out of focus. Accordingly, a technique for focusing a plurality of faces is required.